rolotomasi99 wrote:i have no desire to see any of these movies, but after making history with the best opening for a female director, they could not find another woman to direct the sequel? sexism alive and well in hollywood.

Not that there isn't a lot of sexism that still persists in Hollywood, but this statement is a bit reductive, no? Rolo, you tend to come to fairly absolute conclusions based one factor a lot. I'm sure there were other things that went into their decision to use another director and that it all wasn't as simple as "She's a WOMAN! Get rid of her and bring me a male!"

i am not sure if i read it on imdb or huffingtonpost or an entertainment based blog, but it was alluded to that the studio wanted the new film to be more action and special effects oriented.

the official story from the studio is catharine hardwicke's schedule conflicted with starting shooting immediately, but hardwicke has insisted she was ready and willing to do whatever it took to shoot the new film on the studio's schedule.

the schedule thing was apparently a cover up for the fact the director and studio did not get along -- they called her "difficult and irrational." it was also reported that the studio wanted to move the series away from being relationship based (female) and more toward action and suspense based (male). the studio apparently thought female directors cannot handle big special effects and action scenes. to be fair, other than mimi leder and kathryn bigelow (who have as many hits as misses) there are few examples of successful action films directed by women.

i just feel like if you keep women from having the opportunity to succeed or fail, then women directors will never grow. it seems the studios are stiffling women's ability to learn and break out from the box of romance films studios keep them in.

"When it comes to the subject of torture, I trust a woman who was married to James Cameron for three years."-- Amy Poehler in praise of Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow

rolotomasi99 wrote:i have no desire to see any of these movies, but after making history with the best opening for a female director, they could not find another woman to direct the sequel? sexism alive and well in hollywood.

Not that there isn't a lot of sexism that still persists in Hollywood, but this statement is a bit reductive, no? Rolo, you tend to come to fairly absolute conclusions based one factor a lot. I'm sure there were other things that went into their decision to use another director and that it all wasn't as simple as "She's a WOMAN! Get rid of her and bring me a male!"

"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."

i have no desire to see any of these movies, but after making history with the best opening for a female director, they could not find another woman to direct the sequel? sexism alive and well in hollywood.

Edited By rolotomasi99 on 1229438808

"When it comes to the subject of torture, I trust a woman who was married to James Cameron for three years."-- Amy Poehler in praise of Zero Dark Thirty director Kathryn Bigelow

Summit Entertainment announced today that filmmaker Chris Weitz has been hired to direct the second film in the studio's "Twilight" film franchise. The film, New Moon, is based on the second book in author Stephenie Meyer's blockbuster book series. The announcement was made by Erik Feig, Summit's President of Production.

Weitz, an Academy Award®-nominated writer, director and producer, has a proven track record working with a broad range of material dealing with youth-oriented characters, fantasy and action. As such, he has the potential to bring alive in New Moon the dimensions and depth that fans will demand in the next installment.

Feig stated, "We love Stephenie Meyer's fantastic 'Twilight' series. Thinking long and hard about how to turn 'New Moon' into the amazing movie we know it will be, and working with Stephenie Meyer to find the right candidate, we are thrilled to announce Chris Weitz as director of the film. Chris very much understands the world of 'New Moon' and has the skill set required to bring the book to glorious life as a movie. We think he will be an excellent steward of Stephenie Meyer's vision."

"I am honored to have been entrusted with shepherding 'New Moon' from the page to the screen," said Weitz. "The extraordinary world that Stephenie has created has millions of fans, and it will be my duty to protect on their behalf the characters, themes and story they love. This is not a task to be taken lightly, and I will put every effort into realizing a beautiful film to stand alongside a beautiful book."

Weitz previously penned About a Boy, which led to an Academy Award Nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay in 2002, and adapted and directed The Golden Compass (2007), which was nominated for two Academy Awards and won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects. Additionally, Weitz co-wrote the 1998 animated film Antz and went on to produce the major box office success American Pie and executive produced the film's two theatrical sequels. Weitz also produced In Good Company starring Dennis Quaid and Topher Grace and executive produced American Dreamz starring Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid and Mandy Moore.

In New Moon, Bella Swan (Kristen Stewart) is devastated by the abrupt departure of her vampire love, Edward Cullen (Robert Pattinson) but her spirit is rekindled by her growing friendship with the irresistible Jacob Black. Suddenly she finds herself drawn into the world of the werewolves, ancestral enemies of the vampires, and finds her loyalties tested. Production on New Moon is scheduled to begin in the coming months and the studio is planning to release the film towards the end of 2009 or early 2010.

Feig will oversee New Moon for the studio along with Summit Entertainment's Director of Production Gillian Bohrer.

"Young men make wars and the virtues of war are the virtues of young men: courage and hope for the future. Then old men make the peace, and the vices of peace are the vices of old men: mistrust and caution." -- Alec Guinness (Lawrence of Arabia)

I should clarify, I wasn't seriously taking anyone to task, other than to say that, at 29, I don't particularly think of myself as approaching older age in the space of five years, or even a decade for that matter.

I turn 39 in less than two weeks. I don't hate twinks (that was flipp's comment), as there's plenty of young men I find quite sexy. What I don't find sexy, particularly as it relates to Mr. Pattinson (and this is common among tween and teen male pinups), is his non-threatening asexual appearance: Mr. Pattinson looks like if you just lightly brushed him, he'd crumble into pieces.

"...it is the weak who are cruel, and...gentleness is only to be expected from the strong." - Leo Reston

"Cruelty might be very human, and it might be cultural, but it's not acceptable." - Jodie Foster

Does anyone see the appeal of Pattinson? I think he's funny-looking, like a young Steve Coogan or something.

Fans thirst for the undead heartthrob of "Twilight"By DAVID CARRThe New York Times

KING OF PRUSSIA, Pa. — Robert Pattinson, who stars as the vampire heartthrob Edward Cullen in the forthcoming movie "Twilight," stepped onto a riser at the King of Prussia Mall outside Philadelphia on Thursday evening in front of more than 1,000 mostly teenage girls.

The resulting din, in collective pitch, may have approached Beatles-at-Shea-Stadium loud, replete with the weeping, swooning and self-hugging. All of it was over a mostly unknown British actor who plays a character in a movie that will not be released until Friday.

"What is with all the screaming?" Pattinson asked when he came out. He absently ran his hand through his hair. Pandemonium ensued.

Then Pattison smiled: A girl in a "Team Edward" shirt fell into the arms of her friend. "I can't stand it!" she said.

Along with other members of the "Twilight" cast, Pattinson is touring malls across the country this month. It's not so much to gin up interest in the film but to feed the monster it has already become. For his Thursday appearance, fans arrived outside the mall the night before to get a ticket.

"Twilight" comes to movie theaters with a long and profitable back story in print: four novels and 17 million copies sold. Written by Stephenie Meyer, 34, the series originated with a dream she had about a young woman and her love for a vampire, who returns her love while managing to avoid his urge to bite her.

The books that followed take place in Forks, Wash., where the Cullens, a group of sun-shirking vampires, live among humans but do not prey on them, drinking animal blood instead. Bella Swan (played by Kristen Stewart), a shy young woman, is drawn to one of them, Edward, even after she comes to understand the danger.

So you have your against-the-odds teen love, your woman in peril, your vampires and your cult following, but "Twilight" frenzy still has the capacity to shock. Last Monday there was a huge crush outside a mall near San Francisco, and a girl ended up with a broken nose. When Pattinson appeared in New York the week before, one young fan asked him to bite her.

It's likely not going to be a factor in the Oscar race (although who knows? It could get a tech nom or two.), and I know I'm not going to see it. But I find the hysteria surrounding this newest phenomenom fascinating. I myself never heard of the series until the most recent installment came out a few months ago and the lovesick fanbase came out in droves flooding the bookstores. It's this generation's Beatlemania... how depressing.

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hundreds of shrieking fans - mostly teenage girls - lined the streets outside the Mann Village and Bruin Theatres on Monday for a chance to peek at the stars attending the Los Angeles premiere of "Twilight." Some enthusiasts of the popular vampire literary series-turned-movie camped out overnight, while many arrived at dawn to secure a place in line.

More than 600 people were allowed inside special holding areas along both sides of the premiere's red carpet. The self-proclaimed fanpires gawked, squealed and begged for autographs and photos with the stars. Others spilled out beyond the barricades and across the street from the premiere. Many held up handmade signs. Most just wanted face time. What question did they ask the most?

Marie Sheranian, 16, and Brianna Matheson, 17, came from Simi Valley, Calif., to catch a glimpse of Pattinson, the 22-year-old actor who became a heartthrob after winning the role of Edward. The two "Twilight" fans created T-shirts professing their devotion for Pattinson and brought crates to stand on in hopes of seeing the actor's face - or even the top of his hair - from above the crowd.

"My heart is gonna explode," Sheranian said from atop a crate.

Not everyone in the horde was a howling teenage girl. Several teenage boys were sprinkled throughout the crowd. And there were even a few parents - including the founders of TwilightMoms.com, who left their children and husbands at home to attend the premiere. Pia Castillo said she came all the way from Tegucigalpa, Honduras, to see the film's bloodsuckers in person.

"It's shocking something I came up with could inspire all this," said "Twilight" author Stephenie Meyer.

The red carpet was buzzing about possible sequels. Meyer has written three other "Twilight" novels.

Pattinson said he signed on for the film thinking it would be part of a trilogy, and he knows a script for a second film has been written.

Stewart said she originally heard the cast might reunite to film both the second and third sequels at the same time, but now they might be filmed separately.

"It has to make a certain amount of money, like $150 million, to be able to afford the sequel," director Catherine Hardwicke said. "So we really don't know yet."